Soon to be broadcast on France 3 Île de France, Charlotte Espel’s documentary “Étudiantes en terrain miné” (“Students on a minefield”) gives a voice to five female students and doctoral students who are victims of harassment or rape, and who are fighting to ensure that such violence is no longer swept under the carpet. It also follows associations that are trying to break the omerta, and sheds a harsh light on abuses in the world of research.

In the wake of the ‘Sciences Porcs’ scandal in early 2021 and recent investigations into the extent of rape and sexual assault at Centrale Supelec and business schools, more and more students are reporting cases of sexual harassment and assault. According to the Observatoire des violences sexuelles et sexistes dans l’enseignement supérieur (Observatory of sexual and gender-based violence in higher education), one in ten female students in France has been the victim of sexual assault during her studies, and one in twenty of rape. This societal tragedy is still little-known, often hidden in the silence of lecture halls.

A necessary film to mark the November 25 day of action against sexual violence.

10.7 productions / Cathy Palumbo & Victor Robert